System and method for assisting gifters with finding gifts for recipients

Abstract

A gifting system for assisting a gifter with finding gift for selected recipients and delivering the gifts to the selected recipients and methods for making and utilizing the same. The gifting system enables the gifter to create a gifter profile and a recipient profile for each of one or more recipients. The recipient profile can include recipient preference information, a gift budget of the giver, an event type and other gift information. Evaluating the provided gift information, the gifting system can present one or more gift options to the gifter. The gifter can select one of the gift options for delivery to the recipient. The gifting system advantageously assist the gifter with finding a gift that is perfect for each recipient and each occasion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented gifting method, comprising:
 enabling a gifting user to create and maintain a recipient profile for a recipient user via a server circuit, the recipient profile including relationship information between the gifting user and the recipient user, occasion information for one or more occasions associated with the recipient user, recipient preference information, recipient contact information, and gifting user payment information for the gifting user;   notifying the gifting user of an upcoming occasion for the recipient user based upon the occasion information of the recipient profile via the server circuit;   permitting the gifting user to provide budgetary information for a gift to be dispatched to the recipient user for the upcoming occasion via the server circuit;   proposing one or more suggested gifts for the upcoming occasion based upon the budgetary information, the relationship information and the recipient preference information via the server circuit;   enabling the gifting user to select a selected gift from among the suggested gifts via the server circuit;   applying the recipient contact information to dispatch the selected gift to the recipient via the server circuit; and   applying the gifting user payment information to pay for the selected gift via the server circuit.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented gifting method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein said enabling the gifting user to create and maintain the recipient profile includes administering a gift preference quiz via the server circuit, the gift preference quiz identifying the recipient preference information for the recipient profile, and   wherein said notifying the gifting user of the upcoming occasion comprises periodically notifying the gifting user of the upcoming occasion for the recipient user.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented gifting method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein said proposing the one or more suggested gifts includes proposing a flower plan for sending a predetermined quantity and arrangement of flowers to the recipient user annually based upon the occasion information in the recipient profile and proposing a gift that comprises at least one of money, cryptocurrency, stocks, collectables and classes, and   wherein the method further comprises enabling the gifting user to create and maintain a gifting user profile via the server circuit, the gifting user profile including occasion information for one or more occasions associated with the gifting user, gifting user preference information and gifting user contact information.   
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented gifting method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 enabling the gifting user to select a free gift from a predetermined organization via the server circuit, the free gift being offered by the predetermined organization based upon the gifting user profile of the gifting user;   permitting the predetermined organization to access preselected data generated by the gifting user via the server circuit;   updating the gifting user profile to include information associated with the free gift via the server circuit;   permitting the predetermined organization to confirm activation of the selection of the free gift by the gifting user via the server circuit; and   applying the gifting user contact information to dispatch the free gift to the gifting user via the server circuit.   
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented gifting method of  claim 4 ,
 wherein said permitting the predetermined organization to access the preselected data generated by the gifting user comprises permitting the predetermined organization to access non-personal information generated by the gifting user, and   wherein the free gift is a part of an advertising campaign by the predetermined organization.   
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented gifting method of  claim 1 , wherein said proposing the one or more suggested gifts includes automatically prefilling gift information for a selected suggested gift based upon the recipient profile and presenting swipe to gift indicia for actuation by the gifting user to approve the selected suggested gift for dispatch to the recipient. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented gifting method of  claim 6 ,
 wherein said automatically prefilling gift information includes automatically prefilling a name of the recipient user, occasion information for the upcoming occasion, a name of the selected suggested gift, gift delivery information, the recipient contact information and the gifting user payment information for approval by the gifting user, and   wherein the method further comprises automatically prefilling a greeting card associated with the selected suggested gift based upon the recipient profile.   
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented gifting method of  claim 1 , wherein said proposing the one or more suggested gifts includes proposing a virtual gift for the recipient user. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented gifting method of  claim 8 ,
 wherein said proposing the virtual gift comprises proposing the virtual gift as a substitute for a tangible gift when the tangible gift is not expected to be delivered to the recipient user in time for the upcoming occasion.   wherein said applying the recipient contact information to dispatch the selected gift comprises sending the virtual gift to the recipient user via a link, electronic mail messaging or short message service (SMS) messaging, and   wherein the method further comprises presenting a gift announcement associated with the virtual gift to the recipient user, the gift announcement including a preview of the selected gift, information for identifying the gifting user and a gift access code for enabling the recipient user to access the virtual gift.   
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented gifting method of  claim 1 , wherein said enabling the gifting user to select the selected gift comprises enabling the gifting user to select the selected gift as part of a group gift exchange that includes the gifting user, the recipient user and a third user. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented gifting method of  claim 10 ,
 wherein said enabling the gifting user to select the selected gift as part of the group gift exchange comprises enabling the gifting user to select the selected gift as part of an anonymous group gift exchange, and   wherein the method further comprises:
 enabling the third user to create and maintain a user profile for the gifting user via the server circuit, the user profile including relationship information between the third user and the gifting user, occasion information for one or more occasions associated with the gifting user, gifting user preference information, gifting user contact information, and third user payment information for the third user; 
 permitting the third user to provide budgetary information for a second gift to be dispatched to the gifting user for the upcoming occasion via the server circuit; 
 proposing one or more suggested second gifts for the upcoming occasion based upon the budgetary information, the relationship information and the gifting user preference information via the server circuit; 
 enabling the third user to select a selected second gift from among the suggested second gifts via the server circuit; 
 applying the gifting user contact information to dispatch the selected second gift to the gifting user via the server circuit; and 
 applying the third user payment information to pay for the selected second gift via the server circuit. 
   
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented gifting method of  claim 1 , wherein said enabling the gifting user to create and maintain the recipient profile for the recipient user includes enabling the gifting user to create a new occasion for the recipient profile. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented gifting method of  claim 1 , wherein said enabling the gifting user to create and maintain the recipient profile for the recipient user includes enabling the gifting user to view at least one of past occasions, current occasions and future occasions associated with the recipient profile and enabling the gifting user to select one or more occasions associated with the recipient profile for presentation. 
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented gifting method of  claim 13 , wherein said enabling the gifting user to select the one or more occasions associated with the recipient profile for presentation includes enabling the gifting user to divide the selected occasions into two or more occasion groups and presenting one or more occasion details for each of the selected occasions. 
     
     
         15 . The computer-implemented gifting method of  claim 1 , further comprising permitting the gifting user to send a text message to the recipient user for an occasion selected from among the one or more occasions associated with the recipient user in the recipient profile. 
     
     
         16 . The computer-implemented gifting method of  claim 15 , wherein said permitting the gifting user to send the text message includes permitting the gifting user to select the selected occasion by searching among the one or more occasions associated with the recipient user in the recipient profile, permitting the gifting user to include a virtual greeting card with the text message and permitting the gifting user to include a gift code with the text message. 
     
     
         17 . The computer-implemented gifting method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 permitting the gifting user to send a virtual greeting card to the recipient user for an occasion selected from among the one or more occasions associated with the recipient user in the recipient profile; and   enabling the gifting user to select a direct gift for dispatch to the recipient user via the recipient contact information;   enabling the gifting user to select a local gift for dispatch to the recipient user via the recipient contact information, the local gift being provided by a vendor who is located in a vendor geographic region that is proximal to a recipient user geographic region associated with the recipient contact information.   
     
     
         18 . The computer-implemented gifting method of  claim 17 , wherein said enabling the gifting user to select the direct gift comprises enabling the gifting user to make a charitable donation in the name of the recipient user. 
     
     
         19 . A computer program product for assisting gifters with finding gifts for recipients, the computer program product being encoded on one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media and comprising:
 instruction for enabling a gifting user to create and maintain a recipient profile for a recipient user, the recipient profile including relationship information between the gifting user and the recipient user, occasion information for one or more occasions associated with the recipient user, recipient preference information, recipient contact information, and gifting user payment information for the gifting user;   instruction for notifying the gifting user of an upcoming occasion for the recipient user based upon the occasion information of the recipient profile;   instruction for permitting the gifting user to provide budgetary information for a gift to be dispatched to the recipient user for the upcoming occasion;   instruction for proposing one or more suggested gifts for the upcoming occasion based upon the budgetary information, the relationship information and the recipient preference information;   instruction for enabling the gifting user to select a selected gift from among the suggested gifts;   instruction for applying the recipient contact information to dispatch the selected gift to the recipient; and   instruction for applying the gifting user payment information to pay for the selected gift.   
     
     
         20 . A system for assisting gifters with finding gifts for recipients, comprising:
 a computer circuit for enabling a gifting user to create and maintain a recipient profile for a recipient user, the recipient profile including relationship information between the gifting user and the recipient user, occasion information for one or more occasions associated with the recipient user, recipient preference information, recipient contact information, and gifting user payment information for the gifting user;   said computer circuit notifying the gifting user of an upcoming occasion for the recipient user based upon the occasion information of the recipient profile, permitting the gifting user to provide budgetary information for a gift to be dispatched to the recipient user for the upcoming occasion, proposing one or more suggested gifts for the upcoming occasion based upon the budgetary information, the relationship information and the recipient preference information, enabling the gifting user to select a selected gift from among the suggested gifts, applying the recipient contact information to dispatch the selected gift to the recipient and applying the gifting user payment information to pay for the selected gift; and   a database circuit for storing the recipient profile among other user profiles created and maintained by other system users.